"Year-in-the-Life" Memoir Journal

On February 21st, I wrote about the "Year-in-the-Life" memoir journal I'd started the previous month. It was personally fulfilling and enlightening, and well worth the effort. That is, it was until the big finish-the-book crunch time arrived. Then there was hardly anything else in my world beyond completing The Many Faces of Journaling 2nd edition on schedule.

After that I turned to the avalanche of work, writing and otherwise, that waited impatiently for my attention. Then my family life entered an interesting period, which will reach it's crescendo the end of this week when my newest grandbaby is born.

Which is all to say, I haven't written a word in my memoir journal since sometime in April. Life does happen, just as all those pontificators have claimed.

The plan now is, after I return to town from the birthing of that little crescendo, I'll resume a normal (but not frantic) work schedule and restart my journaling. I'm looking forward to that. There are so many fascinating, terrifying and thoroughly puzzling things going on around us these days, and pondering some of them on the keyboard sounds inviting.

So the journaling lesson here is this: When you take a break, even a very long one, from your journal writing, view that as just one of the droller certainties of life. Don't embark on a guilt trip. It's your journal - write in it "when the time is right" for you.

Happy writing whenever you get around to it!

Linda

Writers/Publishers Discount

Here's a book bargain for you professional writers and publishers. Whether your style be fiction or non, poetry or essay, chances are you do a fair amount of reseach. Google's great, but a book in the hand allows you time to read, ponder, analyze, synthesize and generally play with chunks of information to determine whether it suits your writing project.

In addition, some of us have an almost visceral obsession about owning our research books. First, I may want to do some additional fact checking later on, and secondly, we can't very well highlight and makes notes on the library copies, can we? Still, the cost of buying those research books can be daunting.

Happily, Border's offers a corporate discount rate: 20% off the price of books, 10% off periodicals. You simply fill out a short form (available at the stores), mail it in and wait for the membership card to arrive in the mail. Yes, sole proprietorships qualify.

(You say the books would probably be cheaper on Amazon to begin with? That's often true. But what's also true is that I usually don't want to wait. When I want a research book, I want it now!)

A hefty discount and instant book gratification - what a lovely combination!

Happy writing ~

Linda

Writing vs. Life

(A poem of frustration from a prose writer...)

I think
Life doesn’t listen
Very well.

Life knows full well
That I need oxygen
Water
Writing
Occasional nourishment
And more writing
In order to thrive.

But Life’s
Such a trickster,
Such a knee-slapping
Joker
A maker of hurdles
That silence my pen.

Sometimes
I think
Life doesn’t know me
Very well.

Promote my new book
So it actually sells?
Instead my heart saddens
At the health of
my child
and her child
even as we wait
for a blessed new birthing.

Then I’ve
Paperwork
Scutwork
Invoices
Taxes
Duty prevails,
Muse wilts in a corner.

Mostly
I think
Life doesn’t even notice me
Very well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May Life allow time for your happy writing ~

Linda

Post-Writing Peace

All the scrambling to meet deadlines and the 7-day work weeks it took to get The Many Faces of Journaling 2nd edition to press had become a habit. "Rush" was my normal speed, long past the time when I need to. But tonight the brush of the evening breeze on my cheek gently reminded me that my current project is finished, and it's time now to be still and hear the quiet.

... It's time now to be still ...

A short drive to the park tomorrow will deliver me to a small patch of peace, where I'll sit beneath the oak tree on a bunch of dry leaves listening to the squirrels and birds, feeling the sunshine flow over me. My heart tells me it's time to pause and relax before I jump into the next book project.

And so I shall.

This may be just the right time for you to relax, too.


Linda

"Many Faces of Journaling, 2nd ed." is Here!

It’s finally here!

The brand new 2nd edition of The Many Faces of Journaling is off the presses and in the book warehouse, ready to ship to various wholesalers, book stores, web sites, and other paying customers as the distributor receives their orders. And I have 2 cartons of the beauties right here (that’s 96 copies).


Books & Bubbly Celebration

Friday night, I’m having a small Books & Bubbly party here. It’ll be a family-type affair made up those who were especially supportive during my time writing this 2nd edition. In addition to 6-8 grown ups, two of my grandchildren (one 8-YO and one 18-month old) will be here along with another guest’s two kids. There will be much hugging and laughter.

We’ll have fizzy champagne, cold shrimp, brie & pumpernickel, veggies & dip and another cheese and cracker plate. It’s not dinner, but nobody will starve.

And I’ll give a signed copy of the book to each person I’ve invited, as my thanks to them.

I’m so excited! This kind of party is a cross between a wedding reception and a graduation party. The book is the true guest of honor, but I’ll get full credit for the birthing.

Always, always celebrate your writing accomplishments with people who have encouraged you along the way and are almost as excited as you are.

Happy writing & celebrating,

Linda